Are you living your dream?

When I was a little girl, my mother would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Of course, I wanted to be a singer or an actress or dancer, but most of all I wanted to be a mommy. And I used to tell my mother that when she got old I would take care of her.

Have I been able to live my dream? Well, you could say that I have. I had four little girls of my own, and when my dear mother was dying (only in her 70’s) I helped take care of her the last month of her life. Perhaps that was a love commitment more than a dream.

My childhood dream has not been my only one. I have had several over the years, as I’m sure you have. As we grow we learn new things and try our hand at them. I sewed clothes, made toys and crafts and quilts, tried sketching and painting, wrote poetry, and dreamed dreams. I took voice lessons but I’m shy and nervous about public singing. I dance but mostly when I worship the Lord in the privacy of my home. And the acting? Uhh, No. 🙂 But I keep returning to writing – ministry things, poems, stories, plays, songs, articles, blogging.

Again my dream is to be a writer and author of children’s books. Having accomplished NaNoWriMo, perhaps by sheer determination, then shouldn’t I be able to write a book for children, perfect it for publication, and stick with it until that happens?

But what do you do when life happens, when the time you had which didn’t seem to be enough is now split in half? How do you see those dreams fulfilled?

How do you choose what to sacrifice and what to push to the forefront?

It is a challenge in which, so far, I don’t feel I’m succeeding. With all the reading I try to do, my writing is taking a backseat. With the book reviews and author interviews I committed to, my newsletter publishing is delayed. But do you see the connections? In some way they are all to do with writing, so I haven’t completely left it behind, I just need to discover my balance. What I must do is trust the Lord to lead me in all of these things in my life. If I’m meant to continue them all then He will show me how.

Then there are the unexpected things that crowd in. I gave my piano to our oldest daughter who loves to play. She told me Tuesday that the movers will be here Thursday morning. That meant today’s time was devoted to rearranging things for the piano to be maneuvered around in order for the movers to get it up the stairs and out to their truck. This also means there will be more space for my stuff! 😉 Such as more books? Umm, maybe for all the fabric I have. (Yes, I love fabric too, which is intended to be listed for sale on my business website.)

Do I have too many irons in the fire? Too many interests and not enough focus? Too many ideas and not enough ‘stick-to-it-iveness’? Or maybe I dream too big? – forgetting I’m only one person and nobody else will be interested in my dreams – so I live a little of this one and a little of that one.

I don’t ever stop dreaming.

What about you? Are you a dreamer of dreams? Are you living your dreams? Or have you given up on them?

7 responses to “Are you living your dream?”

I don’t like to think in term of “dreaming too big,” Lynn. All dreams are important.
Perhaps you can decide on what amount of time you can set aside for writing each day. Would a half hour work, fifteen minutes? Would it be possible to get up a bit earlier mornings and head right to the computer? What I’m saying is, a little bit of time working toward your dream is better than none. I hope you are able to strike a balance. Good luck!

Perhaps “dreaming too big” isn’t really the issue, I’ll have to think on that.
Maybe I could schedule fifteen minutes a day, perhaps in the evenings. I think my problem is that once I start writing and it’s going well, I can’t (or hate to) stop, so I put off starting in wait for the ‘right time’. I don’t want to lose the momentum or the flow of ideas and I’m afraid that if I have to stop then I won’t get it back. Am I not giving myself enough credit?
Thanks, Laura. 🙂

Oh Lynn, I am so much a dreamer, and as you know have had (and am experiencing) those roadblocks that seem to stand in the way of our dreams, particularly writing dreams. Some things can’t be helped, and I’m trying hard to understand that people don’t understand how one small request can cost a whole day of writing time. I have succeeded in carving out more time (and placing boundaries) in a few ways. First, I’ve allowed myself to do less. I accept help when it’s offered (even though I feel guilty), we added caller ID to our telephone service so I don’t answer the phone during writing time unless the call is from one of our parents, I decline morning (my writing time) activities, and my husband went to bat for me with his family to try to help them understand about my writing time. The caller ID is the BEST thing I’ve done this year about increasing writing time and it’s very inexpensive.

To add to your “to do list” Lynn, you won my give-away book for April and I need to know if you prefer Colleen Coble’s book or the John Grisham YA book. Just reply to this post and I’ll send the one you prefer. I have your address. Fond regards, Sue.

Hi Sue, I have not made it to the ranks of writer that you have, so I take it a whole different way. I don’t save time for ‘writing time’ as it is not a major part of my life – especially with everything else going on right now, so maybe that is the problem. I’m not going to get there if I don’t take it more seriously. Perhaps I am cheating myself.
Your methods of ‘carving out more time’ are good. Boundaries are necessary, although I have always had a difficult time with that one since I often don’t feel my time is only mine and so allow it to be for whomever speaks for it. I think I have a lot to learn yet, or is it ‘relearn’?

I was surprised that I won your April book! Thank you. I sent you an email, sounding very unsure as to which I would prefer, so I read some reviews on each title. Now I think Colleen Coble’s book would be fine. I like the occasional visit to another era, and this books seems to fit that bill. 🙂

Okay, too much going on in my brain! If not too late I am allowed to change my mind, right? 😉 It is difficult to choose since I don’t know these authors yet, but since Grisham’s book is YA, that may be of help to me in my own writing. If I may I will accept that one instead, please accept my thanks, Sue.

I am so much a dreamer of dreams that it is my tag line. (see my website http://www.darlenefoster.ca) I have never given up on my dreams and never will. I have had many roadblocks to be sure but that burning desire to live out my dreams has always been there. I teach this to the youth at risk and the unemployed I work with as I belive in it so passionatley. It never ceases to amaze me how dreams do come true and often when you least expect it or in a way you never imagined. never stop dreaming is my motto. You can see that I love this post!! Thanks Lynn